The Tragical Ballad: Or
The Lady Who Fell In Love With Her Serving-Man.

Part I.

Good people pray attend,
Unto these lines I’ve penn’d,
Which to the world I send,
Therefore draw near;
And hear what I do say.
Alack-and-a-well-a-day,
Unto love’s sad decay,
Prov’d most severe.
There was a servant-man,
Who lived near the Strand,
As I do understand,
He was so fair:
So the young lady bright,
Could not rest day nor night,
He was her soul’s delight,
She lov’d him so dear.
Now this young lady cry’d,
I can’t be satisfy’d
I wish I was his bride,
To cure my smart.
Young Cupid bend the bow,
And wound my lover so,
That in short time he’ll know,
A love-sick heart.
Why should I thus complain,
He knoweth not my pain,
He being my servant-man,
And I so great.
Could I unclose my mind,
Great comfort shall I find,
But fortune proves unkind,
Oh! cruel fate.
Why was I born so high,
To live in misery?
Or Cupid’s dart to fly
Into my breast;
I wish I was as poor,
As the Man whom I adore,
Then should I evermore
Enjoy my dear.
Then the young lady said
Why should I be afraid?
I’ll bring my servant-maid
To tell my mind.
Betty, Betty, said she,
Pray come here to me
You must my council be,
Then I will prove kind.
I love our servant-man,
You know our honest John
Let me do what I can,
I can’t get free.
Love has ensnar’d my heart,
As I do feel the smart.
Cupid with his keen dart
Has wounded me.
Then said the damsel fair,
Madam, since you declare
Your mind, I can’t forbear
But let you know.
I am in the same case,
I love his charming face,
My heart within his breast
Is plac’d also.
In sorrow discontent,
Away this damsel went,
Her heart with mischief bent,
As you shall find.
Tho she’s my lady fair,
Her secret I’ll declare,
Or I shall lose my dear,
In a short time.

PART II.

Good people lend an ear,
I’m sure you’ll shed a tear,
When you this story hear,
A second part.
How Cupid bent his bow,
Wounded three lovers so,
Great troubles they did know,
By his keen dart.
The damsel thus begun,
And said I am undone:
I shall distracted run,
I am afraid.
Could I draw back my mind,
From love to be inclin’d,
Great comfort shall I find,
In grief she said.
We leave the damsel here,
Entangled in love’s snare,
To treat of the young fair
Lady so bright.
As she set sighing then
Came in the servant-man.
As we do understand,
That very night.
Young madam, do forbear,
Draw me not in a snare,
If my master should hear,
We are ruin’d.
Rather than that should be
I’d go along with thee
Either by land or sea,
Or where you please.
You are my heart’s delight,
I can travel day and night
So they consented strait
To cross the seas.
Then said the lady bright,
Tomorrow when ’tis light
I’ll marry my delight
Then straitway I will go
Along with thee, my dear
And man’s apparel wear,
No one can us ensnare,
Nor can us know

PART III.

Observe this part the third,
The servantmaid she stood,
And heard their every word.
Then strait she run.
Master, master, said she,
Alas! you’ll ruin’d be,
Your daughter doth agree
To marry John.
To morrow is the day,
As I do hear them say,
That they would go away,
And married be.
She doth him so adore
Of danger thinks no more
She quits her native shore
To cross the sea.
When she did thus declare,
He call’d his daughter fair,
Madam, what are you there?
Her father cry’d.
Pray call John also,
The truth I mean to know,
And if I find it so,
I will provide.
A place you need not fear,
Both for you and your dear,
And I will prove severe
Unto you both.
Father, your will be done
He’s like to be your son,
Or else I will have none,
Upon my troth.
Daughter since you say so,
He shall to prison go,
And I’ll confine also
You to your room.
Father, father, forbear,
Do not punish my dear,
Let me the burden bear,
Or I’m undone.
She to her chamber sent
And he to prison went,
In grief and discontent,
There to remain.
He sent him over to sea,
A soldier there to be,
Against the enemy
To fight in Spain.
Now said the servant maid,
Alas! ‘Twas I betray’d
Your love and mine, she said,
What have I done?
With that she tore her hair,
And fell into dispair,
And as I do declare,
To Bedlam’s gone.
That very self same night,
This youthful lady bright,
In dark and dolesome night
Got clear away.
Out of a window high
She got her liberty.
Travelling she did come nigh
Unto the sea.
And in short time we hear, She cross’d the ocean fair
In man’s apparel there
She met her dear:
A soldier was he also,
Yet his love did not know,
She being his comforter too
As we do hear.
In Spain they were not long,
Before they both were drawn
Into a party strong,
To fight the foe.
The first that wounded were,
Was this young lady fair,
Dying she did declare
Her grief and woe.
As she was on the ground,
He suck’d her bloody wound,
Crying, My dear is gone,
With her sweet charms:
Shall I live longer too,
No, no that ne’er will do,
Piercing his body thro’,
Dy’d in her arms.
Now came this news we hear,
Unto her father dear:
He stampt and tore his hair,
Grieving he said,
Alas! my daughter dear,
I prov’d to thee severe,
Now thou art dead I fear,
So I’ll end my days.

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BBO Roud Number: V2183

EBBA ID Number: 32443

ECCO Gale Document Number: CW3311076595

ECCO Gale Document Number: CW3311408755

ESTC Citation Number: N13815,

ESTC Citation Number: T206941

ESTC Citation Number: T51567